After being assigned to the special operations mountain brigade, Lee Tae-gyu (22), a right-handed pitcher for the KIA Tigers, ran 4-5 km every day and criss-crossed the mountains. The time spent preparing so fiercely was never wasted.
After being discharged from the military, he ate 7 meals a day and exercised intensely, and in 3 months gained 10kg to achieve a body of 80kg with a height of 188cm. Through his efforts, he overcame his skinny body, which was his weakness throughout his career.
Lee Tae-gyu, a talent that did not bloom in the first team due to injury, is now waiting for his ‘time’. As he has grown in age and weight, he has gained strength in the ball. His maximum velocity has increased from 147 to 8 km to 153 km. He’s still in the process of finding his balance, so there’s plenty of potential for him to get even faster. 먹튀검증
Can Lee Tae-gyu establish a position as a right-handed fireballer among the current left-handed KIA mound prospects? The possibilities are endless. The following is the Q&A of the second interview with Lee Tae-gyu, which was conducted during the finish camp last year.
“In the past, baseball was easy, but now that I know it, baseball is very difficult.”
How did you feel about joining the first finishing camp after returning?
I’ve never been to a camp, perhaps because of the competitive spirit . When he was 20-21 he got sick every spring roster and so he was in rehab every season. So he first came and saw the camp. I don’t know if it’s because it’s my first time, but since the intensity of the workout is high, I’m busy doing my own thing. I’m busy taking care of my condition and focusing on throwing, so I can’t even see the people in the next lane at the pitching range (laughing), so I’m doing it as if I’m focusing only on mine. Also, because the training is hard, there are times when the players go ‘Eusha’ among themselves.
How satisfying are the balls thrown in the process of preparing for the finish camp
? There are some things I like about the balls themselves, but I don’t think it’s my balance. I care a lot about making it my own. Because I was trying to study a lot, there were so many things I had to do. The pitching tunnel and things like that are also a lot of trouble. Baseball is difficult because I
know the pitching tunnel, release point, deception, etc. in detail and then know if there is a difference between throwing .
Originally, I thought ‘baseball is really easy’, but I think it was a very big mistake. When I get to know those points, I understand to some extent why the examples didn’t go well when I didn’t do well, so I think I get a little bit of energy when I exercise. What should I do? things like that
As the expression ‘baseball was easy’, it seems that I sprayed the ball very easily in the past. How has your self before enlistment changed from your current self?
It was just ‘throwing the ball with only one hand’. In a way, it was a bit of an innate part, but I think I only believed in that one thing and threw it. The use of the lower body and the rotational power of the upper body were also very lacking because I just threw with my arms without anything. In fact, even now, I haven’t improved enough to call that time ‘very ugly’, so I’m working hard to get better.
I wonder if my goal will be to complete ‘My Helmet’ this winter
. I wish there were at least one or three balls I could throw at will. It seems that there are still two less. It seems that one fastball and one breaking ball are still possible, so I want to pay attention to raising the three pitches to a level where I can throw freely and think about ball combinations. Also, basically, I haven’t been able to do team play or defense for a long time due to the military hiatus, so I pay a lot of attention to those things.
What is the breaking ball you are confident in?
Right now, honestly, I am throwing everything that a right-handed pitcher can throw. The only things he can throw during the game are his curveball, cutter, and changeup. I am thinking of many things. I don’t have any objection to throwing a breaking ball, so I’m trying everything.
How far did the fastball go?
After returning, he reached 153 km in the Futures game. I don’t know if he’ll get his way, but he’s trying to stretch it out a bit. It is true
that it increased more through the process of increasing weight after being discharged from the military .
After increasing the weight (from the original 147 km), I increased more, but the process of increasing the weight was very difficult. Eating 7 meals a day for two and a half months, I barely gained 10kg. I am thinking that if I increase my weight with the mindset of dying a little more during the winter, I will be able to increase my speed even more. However, I have never thrown speed while trying to get more speed. I just throw with the mindset of ‘throwing with all my might’. It’s a process that I’ve been following, so I thought that if I took care of my body more, ‘the speed would naturally follow’.
I can be more positive because I didn’t just aim to increase speed.
I am also very satisfied with the process after returning.
It is surprising that he achieved such results in just a few months.
In the 20-year-old and 21-year-old seasons, the highest speed was 147 km, and the average was about 142 to 144 km. But now, to say the least, as I get older, I feel that my strength is getting stronger. Also, in the army, running for 4-5 km every day and climbing a mountain led to stronger ankle strength. It was a bit overkill at the time, but I’m managing it well now.
What are your goals for this season
Right now, when playing in the first team, the first goal is to ‘not be a nuisance to the team’. If that happens, leaving a game with an impact is the next goal. I want to show once again that ‘my skills reach this level’. Also, I want to feel it myself and know what level the 1st group is.
He finished his military service at the age of 22. Can we say ‘Lee Tae-gyu’s baseball’ from now on?
He isn’t good at baseball, but he always tries to think positively. As much as I improved in 2022, if I get better in 2023 and even better in 2024, I think that one day I will be able to continue to be a good player.